18C discussion may influence debate around Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill in Tasmania's Upper House

Tasmanian MLCs have made it clear where they stand in the debate around potential changes to the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act.

The Legislative Council held a briefing on the matter earlier in March, after the Lower House passed a bill seeking to make amendments to the legislation.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the federal Liberal Party reached a consensus on removing the words ‘insult’, ‘humiliate’ and ‘offend’ from section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, and replacing them with ‘harass’.

Similarly, the Tasmanian legislation seeks to offer religious exemptions to certain people wishing to express a viewpoint that might otherwise be deemed discriminatory.

Several independent Tasmanian MLCs agreed that the federal decision would likely impact on the anti-discrimination conversation in this state.

Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest, who moved that the bill be referred to a parliamentary committee before being debated in the Legislative Council chamber, said no-one supported the bill as it was.

She said the same-sex marriage plebiscite had caused the government to fast-track the bill’s passage in 2016, as though to better facilitate dialogue on the topic.

Once it became clear the plebiscite was in limbo, Ms Forrest said, it was evident there was no need to rush the legislative process.

But Rumney MLC Tony Mulder said Tasmania should follow the federal government’s lead in regard to anti-discrimination laws.